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The parliamentary mystery shopper

 

J. B. Seatrobe

 

JB Seatrobe recommends touring other parliaments and representative assemblies, not just to add spice to your holiday, but also to spark constructive criticism of our own dear Westminster

 

 

 

 

If you should find yourself in a capital city, whether you're there on business or for pleasure, why not check out its parliamentary assembly, and pay it a visit? If you know a bit about the Westminster Parliament, you're likely to recognise familiar features in many other parliaments. Whether appropriately or not, many countries have copied the so-called Mother of Parliaments template, in the belief that it is the default model of a well-functioning legislature. If the parliament is not based on the Westminster model, ask yourself how it compares. Are there features that Westminster should copy?

 

Even if you have the contacts to get a personal, private tour, seeing much more than you might as a mere tourist, it is often more telling to approach the parliament as a casual visitor, on the principle of the mystery shopper, to assess how it presents itself to the outside world, including its own citizens.

 

 

London

 

Even close to home, our capital boasts not just Westminster, but also the London Assembly at City Hall. It's on the South Bank, in the shadow of Tower Bridge, and the contrast with Westminster is striking.

 

As you approach its leaning tower, you can't fail to notice that it seems to be made mostly of glass. The  explanatory booklet claims this demonstrates that "the GLA provides open and seethrough government for London", and praises the "glass exterior allowing Londoners to look in".

 

The building is also remarkably similar to the glass dome on top of the Reichstag, designed by the same architect, Foster and Partners. Its website has this description: "Emphasising values of clarity and transparency, the glazed cupola is a new landmark for Berlin, and a symbol of the vigour of the German democratic process." Both buildings also have spiral glass-walled walkways round the outside of their chambers.

 

But openness and transparency are not synonymous. Glass certainly provides transparency; you can see through it, after all, but it also presents a barrier. Visitors to the Reichstag's glass dome are completely segregated from the rest of the building, and there is little attempt to explain anything about how the German parliament works. If you want to watch a Welsh Assembly debate, you will find a glass wall between the public gallery and the members. The proceedings are transparent, but closed, not open.

 

Despite its transparency, City Hall displays a disappointing number of 'closed' signals. On the day I visited, there was no access to the chamber's public gallery, despite the only visible activity being a few people setting the room up for a meeting. It's hard to get the feel of a chamber if you can't go inside it. The computer displays of that day's committee meetings were all marked invitees only - instantly conveying a feeling of exclusion. To achieve transparency, glass alone is not enough. Citizens have the right to be part of their democratic institutions, not just spectators or visitors.

 

 

Brussels

 

London, however, looks like a parliamentary desert compared to Brussels. Belgium's complex system of devolution has made Brussels a parliamentary smorgasbord - you can visit five parliaments in one day, each embodying a different tier of representation.

 

At the top, so to speak, is the European Parliament. It offers an audio-guided tour of the chamber on non-sitting days in almost all official EU languages; an opportunity to register to watch a parliamentary sitting for an hour, or a group visit including a talk and possibly meeting an MEP. All visitors have to be 14 years or older. The parliament building is large, in a plain modern style using plenty of glass. Inside, with semi-circular seating for 785 members, the chamber is huge.

 

The bicameral Belgian Federal Parliament, by contrast, has a building in the classical style. The interiors are also grand and imposing, with hemicycles in both the senate (71 seats) and the chamber (150 seats). Visitors can just turn up, but must show photo ID to get in.

 

Along the same street, the Flemish Parliament (124 members), having taken a political decision to locate itself near the Belgian centre of power, is a bold mixture of modern architecture blended within an older building. The chamber nestles attractively in a glass-domed courtyard, its symbolism clear. The parliament attracts visitors not only to see a democratic institution representing Flanders, but also as a cultural venue for unrelated events. The Brussels Regional Parliament (89 members) also blends together old and new architecture. Parts of the building date back to the 17th century, while a new chamber has been constructed on the roof. The old provincial council chamber is now a cafeteria and reading room. Visitors have to apply for a place on a group visit at least a month before the date they want.

 

Finally, the parliament of the French Community of Belgium (75 seats) represents the Frenchspeaking population of Wallonia and the Brussels capital region. Its members are drawn from the French-speaking sections of the two regional parliaments. Its building also had to create appropriate new spaces within a historic setting - like the Flemish Parliament it has put glass roofs on interior courtyards, but in this case its chamber was created at a mezzanine level. As with the Brussels Regional Parliament, individual self-guided visits are not possible. You need to plan your trip to Brussels well in advance to be able to take in all its parliamentary sights.

 

 

Ottawa/Quebec City

 

When in eastern Canada, compare and contrast the Canadian Federal Parliament in Ottawa, and the Quebec National Assembly in Quebec City.

 

The Ottawa Parliament, proudly stands on a riverside site on Parliament Hill. It is a Westminster look-alike - especially its clock tower clone, the Peace Tower - and, like Westminster, much is a product of rebuilding after a damaging fire (in 1916).

 

In its operation, too, the Canadian Parliament is clearly a Westminstermodel legislature, epitomised by the familiar rectangular chamber in both the House of Commons (308 members) and the Senate (105 members), with parallel rows (though of individual desks, rather than long benches) facing each other in adversarial style. Like Westminster, the Lower House is green, and the appointed Upper House, red. If anything, in appearance, it out-Westminsters our Westminster especially in the grandiosity of the commons chamber.

 

The parliament caters well both for the casual tourist and those attending proceedings. And, unlike Westminster, the Parliament Hill complex is a frequent site for nonparliamentary activities, including a spectacular son et lumiere on summer evenings, helping to consolidate its national democratic symbolism.

 

The Quebec Parliament (125 members) is a more complex affair, reflecting the province's unique position within Canada. As you would expect, it is called the Assemblée Nationale, with emphasis on the Nationale. The late 19th century building style was inspired by the Louvre in Paris. It has been unicameral since 1968, when the upper house, the Legislative Council, was abolished, with the former chamber now used for committee meetings and official ceremonies.

 

The assembly's décor reflects the history of nationalist French Quebec within a largely English Canadian federation (with also more than a nod to the indigenous Amerindian peoples). For example, the main entrance hall has emblems not only of France, but also (similar to the representations of the four patron saints in Westminster's central lobby) of England's three lions and Scotland's lion rampant.

 

Given Quebec's often exclusive emphasis on French language and culture, the most surprising feature about its assembly is its similarities with Westminster, especially in the shape and layout of the chamber, and in its operation. Mind you, as part of its impressive visitor and information facilities, also open to the public is its magnificent dining room, La Parliamentaire, which looks like an example of Parisian fine dining.

 

 

Islamabad

 

Richly symbolic of a country still fighting to strengthen its democracy, at the end of Constitutional Highway in Islamabad, the building housing the Parliament of Pakistan is overshadowed by the grandiose Presidential Palace next door. Although it may look like a multistorey car park, the parliament building houses the chambers of the National Assembly and the Senate, as well as administrative offices. All visitors have to get a permit from a member or senator, and there is provision for school parties to visit by appointment.

 

Unlike Westminster, it is the chamber of the lower house, the National Assembly, that is the more richly decorated and impressive. Oval in shape, it seats 400 members in semi-circular rows under a ceiling beautifully decorated in a gold design. The gallery seats over 800, divided between press, public, and distinguished guests.

 

Lucky enough to be offered a permit, I was able to attend a sitting of the National Assembly. Based on Westminster-style standing orders, business follows a vaguely familiar format, but with a distinctively Pakistani flavour. Sittings are announced only a few days in advance - and an advertised start time of 10 am means more like 11:30 by the time everyone's ready. The prayers are sung rather than spoken; a wonderful start to the day's business. Listening was a surreal experience; most members speak using a mixture of Urdu and English, so you can understand some of what is being said.

 

 When I visited, there was an interesting variety of styles of dress. All the women were wearing the shalwar kameez (trousers, tunic and scarf), although not all kept their heads covered. Only one woman wore a hijab, and no-one wore a burqa. For the men, some wore westernstyle lounge suits, but most wore the usual buff-coloured trousers and tunic outfits, with a short waistcoat in shades of brown. Women may have been wearing the trousers, but it was the men who were wearing the hats. There were a few white turbans, some chitrali caps (the ones that look like pancakes), some topis and the occasional karakul (the black curly wool ones).

 

On a topical note, as you leave, try to spot the blocks of flats across the road, on the left. These are the Parliament Lodges, where most members are provided with a two-bedroomed flat. They can also claim travelling and other expenses, but they have neither office accommodation nor staff in Islamabad, unless they have a position such as chair of a select committee. Outside the building you find the usual crowd of media waiting to interview the politician of the moment - it may be over 3,000 miles from Westminster, but it's not so very different.